Yet, this wasn't the time. Greek symbols do take the fun out of any subject. They will have these equations in the test next week. I am going to flunk. And he is going to turn me into this specimen of the educated but clueless Indian student. I bet I am the staff-room discussion right now. Wouldn't you hate an eleven-year-old if he earned double? She smiled some more. We walked out of the class.

We decided to skip lunch and have tea and omelette at the roadside Rambhai outside campus. He's probably circled my name and put a D in front of it already,' she said, nestling the hot glass of tea in her dupatta folds for insulation. Listen, you can study with me. I don't like these equations, but I am good at them. That's all we did at NT for four years. This is purely for study reasons. They are catching up. Whatever, I don't want to be number fourteen. I thought I could teach you She interrupted me, 'I can't learn economics from you.

I am a university topper in economics. You are an engineer. I said you can't teach me. But we can study together. She looked nice, and I couldn't blame the thirteen guys for trying. Ever been to the girl's dorm? I carried the week's case materials, the size of six telephone directories.

I knocked at her door. After three hundred seconds, she opened the door. She wore a red and white tracksuit. We'd better start, there is so much to do. The rust-coloured bed-sheet matched the exposed brick walls. She had made a notice board out of chart paper and stuck family pictures all over. That's my dad. He is so cute,' she said. I looked carefully. A middle-aged man with neatly combed hair rationed his grin.

He wore a half-sleeve shirt with a dhoti in most of the pictures. He looked like the neighbor who stops you from playing loud music. No, nothing cute about him. I scanned the remaining pictures taken on festivals, weddings and birthdays. In one, Ananya's whole family stood to attention at the beach. You could almost hear the national anthem. Do you know it is the second largest city beach in the world? The oiled hair, geeky face and spectacles made him look like an IITian embryo. His lack of interest in the world expression told me he would make it.

Ananya nodded. Ananya's brother and father still seemed mild compared to her mother. Even in pictures she had a glum expression that made you wonder what did you do wrong. She reminded me of the strictest teachers I ever had in school. I immediately felt guilty about being in her daughter's room.

My hands tingled as I almost expected her to jump out of the picture and slap me with a ruler. Given the dusky complexion, everyone's teeth shone extra white. All old women wore as much gold as their bodies could carry and silk saris shiny as road reflectors. My family was too disorganized to ever pause and pose at the right moment.

I don't think we even had a camera. That's it,' I said. What do they do? Who are you close to? I only asked to make conversation. Don't tell me if you don't want to,' she said and batted her eyelids. How can such scary looking parents create something so cute? But after that, we study. No gossip for an hour,' I warned. I am close to her, but not hugely close. That reminds me, I have to call her. I'll go to the STD booth later. I am super close to mine. We studied for the next two hours in silence. She would look up sometimes and do pointless things like changing her pillow cover or re-adjusting her study lamp.

I ignored all that. I had wasted enough of my initial years at NT. I wanted to make it count. STD calls are cheap now. I'll call home too,' she said and skipped off the bed to wear her slippers. She had called home. Many students had lined up to make cheap calls at the STD booth, a five-minute walk from campus. Most carried their microeconomics notes. I helped Ananya with small change after her call. I ignored the comment and went into the booth. I controlled my urge to snap back at them and dialed home.

The meter started to click. I kept the phone down. The printer churned out the bill. I nodded and dialed again. This time my mother picked up. I was in the kitchen. He wanted to talk to you, so he picked up. Say hello to him first and then ask him for me. How are you doing? How is the place? But they make you cram even more than in the previous college.

I am in a hostel. I don't know why you had to leave Delhi. I had spent eighteen bucks. She looked at me and smiled. What's their name? I just thought you could have a friend who likes the same food. Its OK. We are very modern. Don't you know? I'll catch you later. I have a test tomorrow. Pray before the exam, OK? Your dad picked, right?

I stopped in my tracks. I do it with mom when I'm angry with her. We don't hang up; we just stay on the line and keep silent. Pretty expensive way to let each other know we are upset. Only sometimes though. Not for tonight.

2 States The Story of My Marriage

Or any night. I'd like to keep it to myself. We walked for a moment in silence before she spoke again. Which job are you going to take? Like really? I couldn't lie. I expected her to flip out and laugh. But she didn't. She nodded and continued to walk. The pen's mightier than the sword, one of the first proverbs we learnt, isn't it? What do you want to be? My mother already feels I'm too ambitious and independent. So I am trying not to think too far. As of now, I just want to do www. Both are incredibly difficult though,' she said. We reached her room and practised numerical for the next two hours.

I'd never be able to crack these,' she said after I solved a tricky one for her. So I can help you with the quant subjects. Whatever that is, you are not. We are friends, right? I looked into her eyes. No, those eyes couldn't use anyone. It is really cool. I mean it,' she said. I smiled. A few sleepless girls wandered in the dorm with their notes.

They gave me suspicious looks. I don't know why I felt the need to give an explanation. She walked past the queued up students toward me. By this time, everyone on campus knew of her friendship, or as someone would say, siblingship, with me. She wore denim shorts and a pink T-shirt, drawing extra long glances from the boys from engineering colleges.

We walked back towards our dorms. I am a university gold medalist in the subject. Your numerical saved me. Are you hungry? People who live in hostels are always hungry. Is it a Delhi thing or a Punjabi thing? Controlling what women wear? It is outside campus. People stare,' I said. I'm fine, let's go,' she said and walked towards the campus gates.

It's fine,' I said, turning in the opposite direction towards my dorm. You are not coming? I shook my head. Wear whatever. What do I care? We didn't talk about the afternoon episode when I came to her room in the evening. She had changed into black track pants and an oversized full-sleeve black T-shirt. She was covered up enough to go for a walk in Afghanistan. I kind of missed her shorts, but I had brought it upon myself. I opened the marketing case that we had to prepare for the next day.

I feel like a real smoke,' she said. I gave her a dirty look. Am I not allowed to use the F words? Or is it that I expressed a desire to smoke? I want you to consider the possibility that women are intelligent human beings. And intelligent people don't like to be told what to wear or do, especially when they are adults. Does that make any sense to you? I wear shorts because I like to wear shorts. We kept quiet for half an hour and immersed ourselves in our books. Let's study. I threw the pillow at her. She laughed and slammed it on my head.

I realised this was the first contact sport I had played with her apart from shaking hands. Even though I pretended to be fine with the 'just friends' thing, it was killing me. Every time I looked up from my books, I saw her face. Every time I saw her, I wanted to grab her face and kiss her.

The only way I could focus was by imagining that Prof Chatterjee was in our room. Even outside the study sessions, it wasn't easy. Every time I saw a guy talk to her or laugh with her, a hot flush started from my stomach and reached my face. Sometimes, she would tell me how funny some guy in section A was or how cute some guy in section B was and I wanted to go with a machine gun and shoot the respective guys in sections A and B. They should go full on with the advertising campaign, right? I had been staring at her lips, researching ways of kissing her.

Yes, I agree with you,' I said. What are you thinking of right now? I think I will be good at a marketing job. So I will go with this recommendation tomorrow. I stood up to leave. I can't fall asleep then,' I said. I will make it in the pantry upstairs. What do you keep thinking about? We don't need to study together anymore.

What's up? Did I do anything wrong? It's me,' I said. Her loud voice woke up a girl in the next room who switched on her light. Stop behaving like we are having a break-up,' I whispered. There's a quiz tomorrow. She came up to me twice, once to return my pen that I had left in her room and another time during the mid-morning break to ask me if I wanted to go for tea. Once you start liking someone, their mere presence evokes a warm feeling in you. I fought the feeling before it took control of me. You go have tea,' I said. She didn't insist as she left the room. She had worn a long maroon skirt and a light brown top.

I wish she'd turn back and look at me. But she didn't, she joined her dorm-mates and went out for tea. I dodged her for the next five days. I came late to class and left first so there was no time for greetings. Even Kanyashree paused from her frantic note- taking and turned her profile ten-degrees towards me. I had just sat down to study after dinner. Girls rarely visited boys' dorms. She had come to my room only once before. It had excited my dorm-mates into an impromptu Frisbee match set to loud music in the dorm corridor.

Even I couldn't resist a smile. He went on to play a song from Maine Pyar Kiyathat urged a pigeon to play postman. We are never studying at your dorm again,' she had fumed as she packed her books. She opened the door to eight boys playing Frisbee in the corridor. But here she was again. And the firmness in her step meant my dorm-mates didn't act like Neanderthals and had disappeared into their rooms. I opened the door. She stood there, wearing the blue and white salwar kameez that she wore the first time I saw her. When you are in campus, you can figure out a pattern in people's clothes.

Her blue salwar kameez repeated itself every three weeks. She had brought two Frootis with her. Can I distract the scholar for ten minutes from his studies? I had left the red bricks bare, and they looked like prison walls. My originally white bed-sheet had turned grey after being washed in acid in the NT hostels. My desk only had books, unlike Ananya's who always had cut flowers from campus lawns or arty incense holders or other objects that men never put on their shopping lists.

I turned around to do a quick scan. No, there was no underwear or smelly socks or porn magazines or old razor blades in sight. I held the door open.

Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High

What is this childish behavior? Like you don't even acknowledge me in class. I had missed her so much I wanted to lock my room and never let her go. I'm sure some guys can be friends with girls. I can't. Not with you. Thanks for the Frooti,' I said. I took a long, gurgling sip to finish the drink. I slammed the tetrapack on the table like a retro Hindi film hero who takes the last sip of his VAT Yes, leave me alone as I drown my suffering in mango juice, I thought.

We had a deal. We exchanged glances, silent for a minute. I am not Mr. I stared back, to show I was unfazed. You asked me what I want. It's different. I nodded. To sit and study with you is an exercise in double self-control. First I have to force myself to pay attention to these boring cases. Second, I have to avoid looking at your face as much as possible because when I look at your face, all I want to do is kiss you.

But we have this stupid just-friends deal and you are all cool about it and so that leaves me whipping my mind to study nicotine-free cigarettes and not think about your lips and the little mole that is there below the lower one. It's tiny. But hey, I am just a friend. I don't get the mole. I only get the full stops. You girls don't know what it is like to be a guy. Yours I mean,' she said. I froze. Ms Swaminathan didn't as she came close to me.

In a second, her Frooti-laced lips were on mine. We kissed for three seconds. I was too dumbstruck to move. This boy only likes to study,; she said and walked out of my dorm. I didn't move an inch for five minutes. The remaining three minutes were spent realizing that the hottest girl in the campus had kissed me. I didn't know what I'd done right. But I didn't care. Maybe she had missed me too. Maybe it wasn't such a big deal for her. Maybe I was just imagining this and this hadn't really happened. Maybe I should stop dreaming like an idiot and run to her room. Maybe I shouldn't, as I had no idea what to do when I meet her.

Maybe I should let a night pass and talk to her in class tomorrow. I changed the topic. She had brought the topic back now. Now, just back to what you said about the normal curve,' she said. By more you mean no more kisses or no more than kissing? We are in the middle of a class. Please tell me. We have to study all these normal curve problems tonight. You put a boy and girl in a room for a week and lots of boring books, and sparks are sure to fly. They freak me out,' I said, scanning her family members.

I kept quiet. You, of all people, are asking me if I am gay. I had a girlfriend. It's over. It ended when I left college, two years ago. Who was she? A student? We have a stud here. Prettier than me? Why do women size each other up in looks so much? The girl who asks the question is the better looking one, always.

What, he bought you out? Gave you a blank cheque like in films? Because of which I am here. But the implicit deal was, don't push it. Don't dream of being family. There was no future, so it died. Somehow, it never really gets over with an ex. You merely learn to push their thoughts aside.

Unless someone prods your brain again to think of them. She found a geeky guy of the same community. Engaged in six months, married in a year. Rest I don't know. Now, even though we were naked a few moments ago, I do think I can make a case for invasion of privacy. In case you are still involved with her. It took me a long time to get over her, but I am not involved anymore.

And I feel sick I didn't have the courage to fight her father. And no more talk about her please,' I said. My ex-girlfriend and my father were off-limit topics. Is she South Indian? I wondered if I had said the wrong thing. I was being factual. We are just friends with benefits, right? Or what is it? Fuck buddies? It is amazing how the vulnerability in a relationship shifts from the guy to the girl after you've had sex.

Have tea. I twiddled with the handle for two minutes. Despite the sexual possibilities, we still had to study. It is about a strike in a hotel,' I said as I opened my folder. She nodded without eye contact. I racked my brain hard on what I could say that could make her feel better. She carefully closed her case materials and looked up at me. She said, her eyes wet. Is that all you think about?

So,' I paused. Don't you get it? Now you sound convincing. I threw a pillow at her. I have to think about it. I had freaked out about the idea when she arrived at my room one day with a backpack for overnight clothes. I'd have much preferred her place, as I didn't want her to be the only woman in the dorm with twenty testosterone-charged men.

Still, it was kind of nice. She brought her electric kettle, sweet smile and magi- making abilities with her. While we used to study together earlier, now there was even more discipline. When a woman comes into your life, things organize themselves. We woke up in the morning, she half an hour earlier than me. She would rush to her dorm a hundred metres away and bathe there. I'd get ready and meet her at the mess for breakfast. We'd go to class together, and if Kanyashree was in a good mood, she'd switch places with Ananya for a day. Otherwise, we'd take our original seats and stare at each other through class.

The five Mohits were quite amused at first, but later adjusted quite well and turned to check us out only when the lecture got boring. In fact, her moving in with me created a mini scandal. Like it always happens, I earned the tag of a stud. And she earned tags ranging from stupidly-in-love to slut. But it didn't matter to her as maybe she was stupidly in love.

Every day in class, she would pass me a note. Can't wait to cuddle with you after class,' it said, and it came to me via Ankur, Bipin, Bhupin, ten other students and Kanyashree. We lived with each other, yet she missed me in class from six rows away. People will open them,' I warned. Bipin smiled as he passed the note. OK, so someone had entertainment in class.

One more A in the statistics final exam and you are there,' she said one night three months after she had moved in with me. In NT, all we'd do is chat all night. And why? We are with each other all the time. Why sacrifice sleep? Future plans and stuff. Still, in business school future could merely mean placement.

You'll easily get HLL. It is the best marketing job, right? And I'll go for WPM. Like that girlfriend of yours. We will not talk about my ex-girlfriend again. You said you had a deal with the Prof for grades, so I thought maybe it will make an interesting story. I only articulated it now. Good night,' she said. One-and -a-half years later 'Tell me your thoughts.

Don't you like to talk after making love? Or drift into a nap. Why do women want to talk all the time? We were in my room. We were snugly wrapped up on a cloudy, winder afternoon. You will hit t he jackpot. What after that? Finally, we will have money in the bank. No more scrimping while ordering in restaurants, no more front row seats in theatres, no more second- class train travel. College is fun, but sorry, I've had my share of slumming it. Imagine, you can shop every month! Or travel to exotic places. No more mugging and grades, hopefully for life,' I said. Her voice dropped an octave.

She sat up and wore her top. She stepped off the bed to wear the rest of her clothes. Despite the serious mood, I couldn't help but notice how wonderful women looked when they change. Enjoy your nap,' she said. I am talking, no? We could be in different cities in four weeks. It will never be like this again. I want to have a serious discussion. We sat across, cross-legged on the bed. So, I will try to get a job in the same city as you. But the issue is, we don't know which city you will be in.

So how can I do anything about it now? We are all going to get placed around the same time. You can't wait for me to get a job. Or sorry, I should ask, is there a future? We took a four-kilometre walk outside campus to reach Navrangpura. I wanted to be as far from the madness as possible. Day Zero, or the first day of placement, had ended and I hadn't got a job. There're six more days left for placements,' she said. We stopped at a roadside vendor for pao-bhaji.

She ordered two plates with less butter. See, marketing companies don't even start until tomorrow. I have my big HLL interview. I'm not stressed. I can't think of a single company who can say no to you,' I said. You are so HLL, I can see it on your face. I need to lie better in interviews.

She broke a piece of the pao and fed me. Like they work for the Mother Teresa Foundation or something. And use words like "enormous growths" and "strategic potential",' she said. So say you will work hard,' she said. She laughed as she wiped a bit of bhaji off the corner of my mouth.

I thought how lucky I was to have her. She could be running HLL in a few years, but today her priority was to wipe bhaji off my stupid face. Guilt knotted within me. She deserved an answer about the future. Do it, loser, I told myself. Do it now. Even if it is a makeshift pao bhaji stall in Navrangpura. I gathered the courage to sopeak.

You want to say something? I sat on a stool with seven other candidates outside the interview room. We resembled patients at a dentist's clinic, only more stressed. Ananya had moved up all the rounds and now waited to be called one last time. I reflected on what had gone wrong on Day Zero. OK, I only wanted a job for the money, but I had hidden that when they spoke to me. Then why did I screw up with five banks yesterday? What if Citi also screws me? Sweat beads popped on my forehead. Was it destiny leading me to doom after all these degrees and grades?

Is God not on my sidef? I saw the HLL room from a distance. Ananya stood outside, looking beautiful in a peacock blue sari. Maybe God will not let me decide my future unless I give her clarity on her future. I offered mental prayers and stood up. I checked my tie knot and shirt collars. Remember you need this job I told myself. Banks pay double, I could quit a corporate career twice as fast to do whatever I wanted to. I breathed in deeply and exhaled. He was rich enough to wear a Rolex watch and obnoxious enough not to look at me while he addressed me.

He rifled through a pile of resumes to find mine. I flexed my forearm muscles as people say a tight handshake is a sign of confidence and world domination. He pointed to his colleague on the right. He came across as someone who could be kicked around despite being called vice-president.

Anyway, I'd heard Citibank had four hundred vice- presidents to accommodate careers and egos of hundreds of new MBAs that joined every year. Of course, it took away the relevance of the title but at least it gave you a good introduction. Rahul signaled Devesh to start.

Cut the wisecracks, I told myself 'Nothing,' I cleared my throat. But Ananya had told me the right answer. Sharma,' I said, emphasizing his name so he felt good, 'when I entered NT, I didn't realize the rigours demanded by the system. And once you have a bad start, due to relative grading, it is quite hard to come back. I did get good grades in the last semester and my IIMA grades are good. So, as you can see, I've made up. Finally, they asked the big question, 'Why Citibank?

BS time, buddy I thought, the ten seconds that will determine your career start now. The real question is why would any ambitious young person want to go anywhere else? It is the biggest private bank in the world, it has a great reputation, it is committed to India, and there are opportunities in almost every area of the bank. It is not a bank, it is a growth machine.

But Rahul listened with rapt attention and Devesh nodded. Yes, they were falling for it. When I see you, I want to be you. And Citi gives me a shot at it. I mean, how do you know you want to be me? I've attended dozens of talks, but the way you presented showed more thought clarity than anyone else. I think it is a Citibank thing.

You people have a different confidence. Right, Devesh? I personally pick everyone for the job,' Rahul said as the two jostled for my attention. Rahul pushed back his chair and stood up. So between us, let me be honest. We are mostly done with the recruitment and have only one place left. But we have internal criteria; we need seven-point grade in undergrad to take new recruits. My past sins would not let go of me. Maybe that is why the five banks had rejected me. I came from New York. He's just connected so he became country manager.

You know that, right? So, don't send the next candidate. I scanned the list of remaining companies on the notice board. Everyone else paid half of Citibank. I found an empty stool to sit on and closed my eyes to pray. God appeared in front of me. But I want the job, please. So, that's OK,' God said. You know what you have to do. In four minutes, I could let your last bank job slip away,' God said. I looked at the HLL room. Ananya had gone inside the room. I closed my eyes again.

The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science

I promise to do it after I get my Citibank job. Anyway, upto you. You don't listen to me, I don't listen to you,' God said. I opened my eyes. I had three minutes. Ananya would kill me if I went inside the room. But a voice inside told me that if I didn't go to her, the Citi country manager or Rahul or Devesh could decide against me.

The final scene of the book plays out like a standard s B grade Bollywood movie - pretty girl saves the day, everyone loves her. Blah blah blah. I'm not going to waste my breath describing it. After having recently watched Kai Po Che, I'd have to say Bhagat is probably better suited to screenplay than books.

Avoid it - there are better books to read. They were a lovely couple, very gracious and friendly. I can see why he fell in love with her and chose to write this book about their marriage. I just wish he had done a better job. View all 4 comments. Oct 19, Jegan rated it liked it. First Things First. The Moment i Finished reading the th page of the Book and closed it. All the course of the Book i was looking around to see whether the things said in the book are really happening or its Jus a Book tat im reading. The events, the reactions , the acts are so so real tat at times you feel ur reading ur own Biography.

The book is was so grippin right from the First Things First. The book is was so grippin right from the word go. Thr is neva a dull moment in the Book. Now for the other side of the Book. For ppl who are not aware of the Indian Marriage system it might be Informative but at the same time lil awkward since yo may not relate to Most of the things said in the Book. And there are few things which cud have been given a Backspace - e. I see it was kinda Irrelevant or rather Unnecessary.

To sum it up - Its an alarm for all the Indians and for the rest of the world "Welcome to the world of Indian Marriage System". View 2 comments. May 03, Ramakrishnan M rated it really liked it. This is not a book for the pseudo or otherwise intellectual. This is not meant for the hyper-sensitive-I-am-hurt-by-your-comments individual. Above all, this is most certainly not meant for I-am-a-Punju-and-I-rock or the I-am-Tam-Brahm-and-we-are-the-best-there-can-be. This is a book for those looking for some entertainment; those who can laugh at themselves; those who can derive amusement from minor observations made by the author; ones who can understand that the author is stretching the trut This is not a book for the pseudo or otherwise intellectual.

This is a book for those looking for some entertainment; those who can laugh at themselves; those who can derive amusement from minor observations made by the author; ones who can understand that the author is stretching the truth here and there…. For those who came in late This is the fourth novel by Chetan Bhagat, who has virtually created a new genre of novels and authors in the Indian scene.

They meet in IIMA, fall in love, and struggle to convince their parents to accept their choice. It is a thoroughly hilarious narration. The highlight of the book is the really funny and VERY close to the absolute truth description of how people behave; be it the blatant lies and ego-massaging statements in an IIM interview, or the massive exhibition of wealth and splendor in a Punju wedding, or the way Tamil Moms and Aunts fall over each other praising an NRI Engineer working in the US…If you have lived in India, you can relate to many of the events described in the book.

It is this uncanny ability to connect with the reader that has undoubtedly made Chetan Bhagat so popular among the masses. I happen to be a Tamilian, born and brought up in Delhi, and hence, I could relate to almost every detail of the book. Surely, there would be some hyper-sensitive Tams and Punjus piling curses upon this book and its author. I expect this to be made a movie in Bollywood very soon. I hope the director does justice to the book.

View all 3 comments. Dec 25, Siddharth Bharath rated it did not like it Shelves: It looks like I'm forced to give the book a rating to write a review for it. Usually I'd ignore the ratings and reviews but I feel obliged to save the world from the pain and agony of reading this book. Why did I read it myself?

Well I found I had a few hours to kill one day while at a relative's place and the only book there was this one so I went ahead and read it. After having read five point someone, my better sense warned me with vehemence to avoid this book like the plague. My time would ha It looks like I'm forced to give the book a rating to write a review for it. My time would have been better spent counting the second on a clock. I realize now that I'll never get back those hours of my life I spent reading this book. I'm not sure why fate saw fit to punish me so but I don't think another human deserves this torture and so I am here to convince you not to read this book and burn it if you ever happen to have the misfortune of coming across it.

If it were possible to give this book negative stars, I'd give it - 5. Simply put, Chetan Bhagat does not know how to write. I went into the book not expecting it to have a coherent storyline and even in this I was let down. His use of tense and grammar is so appalling that it offends every single one of my senses, including the ones that have nothing to do with reading. So poor is he at writing that it brings tears to my eyes that filth like this has been allowed to spread unchecked under the good name of English Fiction into the homes of thousands of innocent people in India.

This is an unmitigated catastrophe on a national scale and immediate steps must be taken to neutralize this threat. I urge you as a fellow reader to join the battle against this abomination. Boycott Bhagat! Jul 31, Ambreen rated it liked it Shelves: A typical bollywood love story. Both the lovers are from different states, hence the title "2 states" and their families are very traditional and narrow minded, not to mention stereotypical.

2 States: The Story of My Marriage

It had a lot of humour, though sometimes it felt as if the writer was trying too hard to be funny. Also, if you are a south indian and get easily offended, you might not want to read this book. Overall it was pretty good and a light read!

View 1 comment. Aug 09, Nikhat Hetavkar rated it liked it Recommends it for: Bollywood fanatics, Indian who dont mind fluff candy. After hearing my friends all gushing over 3 mistakes of my life, I very apprehensively picked up the book and really didn't understand the whole deal about "Chetan Bhagat".

Hence when I started reading 2 states, I had terribly low expectations but the book suprised me. It is sweet,witty and totally "filmy". It was like watching a Bollywood movie unravel itself right there on the pages. The one things I absolutely hate about Bhagat books are the female characters. They are way too cliched. He wri After hearing my friends all gushing over 3 mistakes of my life, I very apprehensively picked up the book and really didn't understand the whole deal about "Chetan Bhagat".

He writes them as this complex,shy on the outside but bold under the layers and irresistible creature that ultimately leaves the guy heartbroken. But Ananya was a breath of fresh air, she's the kind of girl you root for, warm,pretty and with a lot of quirks; maybe it due to the fact that she is based on his real life partner and thus Ananya's character doesnt seem like a cardboard cutout. I have concluded that Mr. Bhagat cannot construct fictional characters even if his life depended upon it.

My advice to him would be to write books drawing from his own experiences as five point someone also based on his real life and 2 states are his only decent books I have read so far. And yes please do join some literature classes and definitely get yourself a Thesaurus! Dec 10, Sapphire rated it it was amazing Shelves: The plot is basically Punjbi-Tamilian warfront.

Full text of "2 States Chetan Bhagat(marked)"

Bollywood masala is the flavour for the book but still enjoyable. Anyways Krish attempts his best to get the marriage proposal accepted by ,not Ananya but her parents. Ananya on the other hand does all sort of things to get absorbed into Krish's family. Ultimately what happens we all know. No marks for guessing. But if you are a north-indian in south or a south-indian in north ,you will connect to the story and will certainly enjoy. Most of the situations are the one which can be found in real life. This book actually tells you the thinking of Indians staying in India but still apart,still not accepting different cultures in the same country.

Some moments can really leave you giggling and smiling for sure. Do read atlest once. Enjoy Reading: Apr 14, Usman Hickmath rated it liked it. The mood and the situation we are in while reading certain novels could have a significant influence on how much we like them-especially on the ones we complete in one or two sittings. Just like how some average movies get stuck in our memory: Two States is one such novel. Dec 19, suchi rated it liked it. I think I read some light and easy book after a very long stint of series of heavy and dense books.

So, the change was welcome: This was just another book from Chetan Bhagat in his own free-floating prose. Somehow, I could feel a connection with the book, owning to my Punjabi background. I could strongly and closely relate to routine incidents as in how the miss of ghee in a dal can cause fury, the lavish fat ceremonies, the expectations from children and last but not the least - the naming c I think I read some light and easy book after a very long stint of series of heavy and dense books.

I could strongly and closely relate to routine incidents as in how the miss of ghee in a dal can cause fury, the lavish fat ceremonies, the expectations from children and last but not the least - the naming conventions used. The incidents have been truely narrated in an amusing manner. This book revolves around Ananya and Krish, the two central characters.

Both are the over-achieving kids who happen to deeply fall in love with each other. The story unfolds in the expected fashion as eventually both get consent and acceptance from their respective families. It is not a book to embrace lessons from, neither it is an insightful read. But, surely it is a delightful and amusing read. It keeps you absorbed without letting you put it down without completing.

Jul 14, Quirky Omega rated it liked it Shelves: I don't have anything too good to say about Chetan Bhagat's writing. It often reads like someone is trying to be too cool and using English slang to appear hip and young. But this book somehow, despite all the author's usual misgivings, appealed to me. I would quite honestly, read it again given a chance.

It is that cute. And the romance? I swear, I tingled sometimes. Can you imagine? It was a novel experience 5 years back. It still is. May 19, Praj rated it did not like it Shelves: Love is a temporary madness. However in case of Mr. Bhagat it leads to severe psychosis with sprinkles of idiocy. Aug 03, Muddle head rated it did not like it Shelves: I just completed this one and wanted to write out the review immediately before i start hating it more. First impression, it's manageable, anyone who has been thru an inter-community marriage definitely gets to relate to this story.

I only say 'relate' not actually 'like'. Here are some fine observations: I mean everyone knows that when in love we are actually all starry-eyed, but then when we contem I just completed this one and wanted to write out the review immediately before i start hating it more. I mean everyone knows that when in love we are actually all starry-eyed, but then when we contemplate it later, it all sounds so silly and funny.

In Chetan's stories he always invariably describes the love stories in some lighter vein and he always ends up making them have sex though in this book he started it with that. Why can't he, for a minute, actually put on his 'youngster cap' and try describing the love exactly as he would have felt back then. A simple statement saying 'and then we had sex a week after that'. I mean they aren't prostitutes goddam it.

Writing in first person doesn't always have to end up in a one-sided story. Writing in first person gives the freedom to bring forth numerous emotions, self-dialogue, day dreams and what not. I believe the advantage is not made use of fully! I felt like am reading an elongated version of the 'full synopsys' of a movie on IMDB. I don't mean to say he should write 'longer' novels, but more substance would definitely help. Again, i think its up to the author to decide his own target audience.

His last ventures were all targetted to youngsters who were waiting to fall in love or are already in love or one who had just had a break-up etc. This time he stepped up the maturity level a bit and is actually talking of ending the love in a marriage. But in the process, even the target audience's maturity level goes up too The ones who can relate to, actually look for even a matured literary effort from your side. So either u stick to ur genre and continuing dishing out low-class stuff or up ur ante and write better stuff. Overall the first 50 pages are something of a trash and i was wanting to put it aside, but after that initial phase i was able to tune in to the book.

To be frank i read this book more because i wanted to just see how not to write a book. I was stopping at some places, looking at what could have been better there etc etc. I know am no CB, i know he doesn't write for me, nor can i write like him. Mar 21, Vaibhavi Sharma rated it liked it. Krish our hero: P is such a sweetheart and that's why he is not even close to how boys are in the real world. D no offence to any south indian. Mar 02, Vani rated it it was ok. In India, its not just sufficient for the boy and the girl to fall in love.

This book'll tell you that far more essential than that is for the girl's family to fall in love with the boy's family. The book is hilarious and true to its name. It does depict an India which is as divided by states, castes, culture and language barriers as it is united. At several places in the novel, the quality of the prose falls to below the level of expectation but I think if the reader can overlook that, the book In India, its not just sufficient for the boy and the girl to fall in love.

At several places in the novel, the quality of the prose falls to below the level of expectation but I think if the reader can overlook that, the book in itself is a very good read. Eagerly waiting to watch the movie adaptation! View all 8 comments. Dec 27, Ashish Iyer rated it it was amazing Shelves: It was good. Actually relatable and so many funny moments. Jun 29, Summer Breeze rated it did not like it Shelves: Oh, God. Where should I even start? Let me tell you how I came across this book. Some of my classmates were reading a couple of Chetan's books and told me that they were great.

Now, I'm not sure which ones they referred to, but I hope it isn't this. Anyway, I had this ebook for a couple of years and I always read around twenty pages before completely forgetting about it. In retrospect, I guess my body was trying to protect me like how sometimes trauma victims don't remember anything about the acc Oh, God.

In retrospect, I guess my body was trying to protect me like how sometimes trauma victims don't remember anything about the accident. Anyway, I finally decided to read it till the end. Now, to tell you what is wrong with the book is very difficult because there are so many things that I would probably exceed the word limit of my review. I'll start with the basics. When I usually read books with bad grammar that would mostly likely be the low point of the book. But this book is an exception since the story totally took the prize.

It took predictability to this whole new level that I didn't know existed. But the book's summary is totally spot on. In fact, the summary is as good as the story since they are pretty much the same thing.

Boy and girl meet each other, fall in love, convince girl's parents, almost convince boy's mother when lots of drama ensues resulting in a break-up, drama increases due to boy's abusive father, depressed boy, blah blah, miracle occurs, aforementioned abusive father turns into world's best dad by getting boy and girl back together, some more drama on who is and isn't coming to the wedding, wedding, end. Think Romeo and Juliet with bad prose and trying-too-hard-to-be-funny jokes, set in modern day India, with protagonists from different states instead of clans and a happy ending. The next has to be the writing style.

I get that this book is written from a guy's POV and doesn't dwell much on feelings and stuff. But, please! If the author didn't describe anything at all, it wouldn't matter much but, no, he constantly described a the girl's clothes b food But, not a single line about feelings or facial expressions or surroundings whatsoever. However, the worst part of the book was this: I have no idea how they fell in love with each other. I don't know when they fell in love with each other. I don't know why they fell in love with each other. And that sucks.

I'm going to give you some advice regarding this book: Also, consider it as one of the three mistakes of your life. Pun intended. Feb 17, Devanshi Gupta rated it liked it. This book has been on my mind for so long. This is one of the most popular authors of India and this is his most popular book. I'm surprised I haven't read it earlier. This was better than I had expected.

Nowadays his writing has deteriorated too much, but this is a book Chetan Bhagat wrote in his golden days. I liked certain aspects of this book. The stuff he said about inter-caste marriages in India is absolutely true. They're frowned upon; they're extremely rare. And someone who tries to spea This book has been on my mind for so long. And someone who tries to speak out against this inherent belief in Indian families is brave. Many people have done it and all of them deserve applause, including Chetan Bhagat.

This book tried to break stereotypes: But for every stereotype this book tries to break, it ends up reinforcing two more: Sex is all men live for. Punjabis are sexist and extravagant. Tamilians are boring and educated. Women are emotional. Bla bla bla. Though at times Chetan Bhagat scored with the humour, sometimes the humour was just redundant and trite. For e. Krish looking at the house of the girl his mother wants to set him up with and almost thinking that he should marry her for the money. Apart from this, the book read like a Bollywood script at times.

Especially, the ending. Of course, everyone is merry and the girl's father gives away a speech about how stupid it is to stop inter-caste marriage. And then the happily ever after. It's too Bollywood. Not that I'm complaining. And the Swamiji: In conclusion, I liked it. I'm impressed, but gods, India needs more authors! Dec 13, Rachna rated it did not like it. I'm pretty proud of myself for finishing this book. In a way, I was forced as I read it on the long plane ride home from India. There was a lot of potential with this book - it is a subject that is extremely relevant in Indian society today.

The execution, however, was miserable. First, there was so little character development, I couldn't understand any of the character's motives.